California State University, Fullerton has received a nearly $3 million grant from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) for the university’s stem cell research program that prepares first-generation college students for careers in regenerative medicine.
“Having qualified, diverse employees will increase innovation and productivity in California’s stem cell-based companies,” Alison Miyamoto, who leads the research program, told CSUF News. “COMPASS will fill the gaps between what an undergraduate student knows and what biotech companies seek in their new hires.”
CSUF’s program, called An Inclusive Pipeline for Research and Other Stem Cell-based Professions in Regenerative Medicine (iPROSPR), is CSUF’s division of CIRM’s Creating Opportunities Through Mentorship and Partnership Across Stem Cell Science (COMPASS).
iPROSPR will train 28 biological science or biochemistry students in cell, molecular and stem cell biology techniques at host sites, which include the University of California, Irvine, UCLA and Stanford University, among other partnered institutions.
Research programs like iPROSPR aim to use stem cells as cures for diseases such as COVID-19, cancer, immune disorders and Parkinson’s disease, among others, the university said.
